Cancel Game Pass through your Xbox console or Microsoft account

You can stop your Xbox Game Pass subscription in two ways: through your Xbox console itself, or through your Microsoft account online. Both methods take about two minutes and stop your subscription immediately — you will not be charged again, though you will lose access to Game Pass games once your current billing period ends.

The console method works if you have your Xbox in front of you. The online method works from any computer or phone and is faster if you do not have your console nearby. Either way, you are cancelling the same subscription, so it does not matter which route you pick.

Key Takeaways

  • You can cancel Game Pass on your Xbox console by going to Settings, then Account, then Subscriptions, then selecting Game Pass and choosing Cancel Subscription.
  • You can also cancel through your Microsoft account at account.microsoft.com by selecting Subscriptions, finding Game Pass, and choosing Manage or Cancel.
  • Cancellation takes effect immediately, but you keep your Game Pass access until your current billing period ends.
  • If you cancel during a promotional period or trial, you lose access as soon as you confirm the cancellation, not at the end of the month.
  • Game Pass Ultimate includes Xbox Live Gold and cloud gaming, so cancelling Game Pass Ultimate removes all three at once.

Cancel Game Pass on your Xbox console

Start at the home screen of your Xbox. Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide menu on the left side of the screen. Scroll down and select Settings (the gear icon).

In Settings, select Account, then Subscriptions. You will see a list of all active subscriptions tied to your account. Find Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in the list and select it. A menu will appear with options including Manage Subscription or Cancel Subscription — select Cancel Subscription.

Xbox will ask you to confirm the cancellation and may show you a discount offer to keep your subscription. You can ignore this and proceed with cancellation. Once you confirm, the subscription is cancelled. You will see a confirmation message on screen, and you will receive a confirmation email at the address tied to your Microsoft account.

Cancel Game Pass through your Microsoft account online

Open a web browser on any computer or phone and go to account.microsoft.com. Sign in with the Microsoft account that is tied to your Xbox. Once you are logged in, look for a menu option called Subscriptions — this is usually in the left sidebar or under an Account menu.

Click on Subscriptions to see all active subscriptions. Find Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in the list. Click on it, then look for a button that says Manage or Cancel Subscription. Click that button and follow the prompts to confirm your cancellation.

The page will show you when your current billing period ends and confirm that you will not be charged after that date. Once you confirm, your subscription is cancelled. You will receive a confirmation email within a few minutes.

What happens to your games and saves after cancellation

You keep access to all Game Pass games until your current billing period ends. If you are on a monthly plan and cancel on the 15th of the month, you can still play every Game Pass game until the end of that month. On the first day of the next month, you will no longer be able to launch any Game Pass games.

Your game saves are not deleted. If you own the game outright or buy it later, your saves will still be there. If you only had access through Game Pass, the saves stay on your console but you cannot play the game unless you buy it or resubscribe to Game Pass.

Any games you purchased separately (not through Game Pass) remain playable forever. Only the games you accessed through the subscription become unavailable once your billing period ends.

Cancelling Game Pass Ultimate and what you lose

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is a bundle that includes Game Pass for console, Game Pass for PC, Xbox Live Gold, and cloud gaming. When you cancel Game Pass Ultimate, all four of these stop at the same time. You will lose online multiplayer on your Xbox, cloud saves, and the ability to play games on PC through Game Pass.

If you only want to keep Xbox Live Gold for online multiplayer but do not want Game Pass, you will need to buy Xbox Live Gold separately after you cancel. Xbox Live Gold is sold as a standalone subscription and costs less than Game Pass Ultimate. You can buy it through the same Settings menu where you cancelled, or through your Microsoft account online.

If you are on a free trial or promotional offer

If you signed up for a free trial or a discounted first month, cancelling removes your access immediately — you do not get to keep playing until the end of the month. The trial or promotional period ends as soon as you confirm the cancellation. This is different from cancelling a regular paid subscription, where you keep access until the billing date.

If you cancel a trial by mistake, you can resubscribe right away. You will not be charged for the time you already used, and you will get a new trial or promotional offer if one is currently running.

Troubleshooting if cancellation does not work

If you try to cancel and the button does not appear, or if you get an error message, the most common cause is that you are signed into the wrong Microsoft account. Make sure you are signed into the account that actually owns the Game Pass subscription. If you have multiple Xbox accounts on your console, each one has its own subscriptions.

If you are signed into the correct account and still cannot cancel, try the online method instead of the console method. Go to account.microsoft.com, sign in, and cancel from there. If that does not work either, you can contact Xbox Support through the Xbox app or through support.xbox.com and they can cancel it for you.

If you have already been charged after cancelling, contact Xbox Support with your confirmation email. They can refund the charge if you cancelled before the billing date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pause my Game Pass subscription instead of cancelling it?

Xbox does not offer a pause feature for Game Pass. You either keep the subscription active or cancel it. If you want to come back later, you can resubscribe at any time, and you may see a promotional offer when you do.

Will I lose my achievements and progress if I cancel?

No. Your achievements, gamerscore, and account progress stay with your Microsoft account forever. If you resubscribe to Game Pass later, all of that will still be there. You only lose the ability to play the Game Pass games themselves.

What if my subscription is through a family plan or shared account?

If someone else owns the Game Pass subscription and is sharing it with you, you cannot cancel it yourself — only the account owner can. If you own the subscription and are sharing it with family members, cancelling will remove access for everyone on the shared plan.

Can I get a refund if I just subscribed?

Microsoft does not automatically refund Game Pass subscriptions. If you cancel within a few days of subscribing, contact Xbox Support with your receipt and explain why you want a refund. They may issue one as a one-time courtesy, but there is no may provide.

Do I need to uninstall Game Pass games after I cancel?

You do not have to, but you can if you want to free up storage space. Once your subscription ends, you will not be able to launch the games anyway, so uninstalling them just saves hard drive space. Your game saves will remain on your console even if you uninstall the games.